GOLF

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 299, 14 September 1937, Page 17

GOLF

Scoring in 1937 Open

Tournaments

THE EVEN 4’s TEST

Club Championships in Wellington Area

t By

Niblick.)

The incomparable Bobbie Jones,-u inner of the British open, the British amateur, the American open and the American amateur golf titles in 1930, once remarked that even 4’s would win any golf contest. Then came better balls, better clubs, and better links, and players started to break 70, but the scoring in the open championships decided so far ibis year goes to show that Jones was uot so far out in his contention after all. Henry Cotton, iu retaining his title as British open champion at Carnoustie 111 July, did not shoot even 4’s for the four rounds. He covered the course in i 4, 72, 73, and 71. bis aggregate of 290 being two over 4’s. . . , True, Cotton retained his title under terrible weather conditions, which at one time threatened to bring about a cancellation of the last day’s play. No golfer, no matter how good he may be,, can hgnt against a howling gale of wind 11 nu drenching rain showers.

The Australian Open. The figures in the Australian open championship, which was decided on the Kensington links at Sydney last week, were even worse than those registered m the British open. Here again, the weather was churlish, as a gale of wind raged on the Friday and caused showers of sand to beat in the eyes of the competitors G. Naismith, the youthful Victorian professional, carried off the title with rounds of 73, 78, 74, and 74, big aggregate of 299, being 11 strokes over 4’s. Every other player aggregated 300 or over, and this only goes to show that a player who maintains even 4’s over four rounds is playing really well. Naismith was one of the team of Australian professional players who visited the United States last year, and evidently he gained experience on that tour which has improved his play. Once again the amateurs were not in the hunt at Sydney iapt week. The best big Jim Ferrier could do was 75, 74, 78, and 80, his 307 being eight strokes behind the winner and 19 strokes over 4’s. Harry Hattersley, the Sydney amateur, who was fancied for the ikustralian open, was nowhere iu the picture. The two New Zealand amateurs, C. J. Ward and I’. R. Godby, Christchurch, will long remember the Kensington course. Ward recorded 79 and 88, and Godby 97 aud 93 in the first two rounds of the Australian open. Ward struck the full force of the gale ou the homeward run. Neither qualified among the 60 who fought out the Inst two rounds. When A. J. Shaw wort the New Zealand open championship at New Plymouth in October last, he did rounds of 70, 78, 70 and 74, his 292 being two strokes worse than Cotton’s aggregate at Carnoustie in July, and seven strokes better than Naismitli’s 299 at Sydney last week.

It is to be hoped that the weather will prove kind at St. Andrew’s on September 30 and October l and 2, the days on which the New Zealand open championship will be decided. If conditions are favourable it will not be surprising to see even 4’s broken for the four rounds. In taking the open title at Wauganui in 1934, Shaw did even 4’s, his aggregate being 288. Outstanding Form.

IL D. Brinsden, Titirangi, has long been recognised as one of New Zealand’s best amateur golfers. He was a member of the New Zealand team which unsuccessfully contested the Kirk-Windeyer Cup with New South Wales at Rose Bay, Sydney, in 1932, though he was emergency for the cup match. This year Brinsden has come right on to his best form and within the space of a fortnight has won the Rotorua and Hawke’s Bay amateur championships. In both he had to face strong fields. It will not be at all surprising to see him seriously challenge J. P. Hornabrook for his amateur title at St. Andrew’s next month. Brinsdeu is one of the most popular golfers in the Dominion and any successes lie reaps bring joy to his army of friends. Finding the Champions. Clubs in the Wellington area at present have their championship competitions going and matters generally are working out according to form. The Hutt club lias played the second round and as a result George Roberts, lan Ewen, Guy Horne and Jack Pym arc left in to fight out the semi-finals. Roberts will meet Ewen, and Horne will oppose Pym, and both matches should be worth following, as the quartet arc all playing good golf at present and all arc finished players. In the Waiwetu club, R. G. Holland, J. J. Cheevens, H. H. C. Ribbands, and A. T. Cielland have come through to the semi-finals. The Miramar club will play the, qualifying rounds for the championships on Saturday and there should be keen competition for the senior title this 6’cason with such players in the field as C. E. Hollis, Harold Black, Max Moore, Jim Drake and AV. Flanagan.

Watt Cup Contest. Air. P. 0. Watt gave a wonderful fillip to minor clubs in AVellington and suburbs when he donated the handsome silver cup bearing his name for an annual interclub contest. It is safe to say that more interest is taken in the Watt Cup contest to-day than iu the annual competitions between the major clubs of the city. Interest has been heightened this season by the evenness of the contest. Shandon are at present leading for the cup with 51 points, but this club’s team has plqyed one more match than Titahi, who have 49j points; Manor Park, 414; and Waiwetu, 324. Keen interest will be taken in the Watt Cup match between Alanor Park and Titahi on the Manor Park course on Saturday. Fred Page. Alanor Park champion, is at the top of his form at present, and Jack Black, the Titahi 'No. 1, will have to do even 4's if he is going to down the Alanor Park champion on Saturday. Page covered the Alanor Park course twice in 72 on Sunday and has been shooting .round about even 4's every time he has set out within the past fortnight. Titahi is considered to be exceptionally strong ip low-handicap players, but the Watt Cup team was given something of a shock by Shandon on Saturday when Titahi’s No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 players all had to lower their colours. Jack Black, the Titahi No. 1, was beaten by the narrowest possible margin .by _J, Logan, who covered the course in 73. Logan had not been in touch with his clubs for the previous tortniuht, but he proved himself a stylist. AVhen the exFcroneze player strengthens his short game a bit, he will prove one of the best golfers in the AVellington area. Jack Black is one of the best putters in the Dominion and yet he lost this mutch through his failure to sink a fourfoot putt for a win on the home green. This once again proves that four-footers are awesome things to negotiate when the strain is on. Another Shandon player who has jurap-

ed to the front this season is b’. 11. ATcDonald. lie did well at Titahi on Saturday to beat the steady D. A. Daere (Tttahi) by 1 up in the battle between the No. 2's. It was a stymie on the seventeenth green which won the day for the vonthful Shandon player. G. McGregor, the tall Shandon pluyer, has come right to the front during the past fortnight. Promoted to No. 3 position by his club captain, P. J. McGregor has won both his last two w aft Cup games and covered the Titahi course in 76 on Saturday to bent N. AV. Parker by 5 and 4. AlcGregor had two eagles op the outward journey and was 4 up at the turn.

Fine Form. The youthful n. I). Gyles (Titahi) was in devastating form in his M att Cup game against T. J. Gallagher (Shandon) on Saturday. Out in 39, Gyles stood 8 up at the turn, having won every hole except the eighth, which was halved. Gyles went on strongly to take the game by 9 and 8.